The Houston Texans' saga with Deshaun Watson seems never-ending at this point. The quarterback's future remains extremely uncertain while the legal proceedings take place.
Although no trade is imminent, the Texans may have some leeway soon. According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, several opposing teams are fine with trading Watson as long as his criminal case is resolved.
Article Continues BelowPer a source with knowledge of the situation, multiple teams are indeed willing to make the deal, as long as the criminal situation is resolved. Last year, the Dolphins insisted on settlement of all cases before a trade would be finalized. The Panthers were willing to make the deal regardless of the civil (or criminal) cases, but Watson didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause for a trade to Carolina.
The teams currently willing to do a deal without a settlement of the civil cases aren’t known.
Florio explains that the civil cases, brought on by 22 women who allege Watson of sexual misconduct, will take longer to determine than the criminal case. Watson's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, has advised him not to speak in his civil case hearings.
This is a big break for the Texans, who can use the desperation of other teams with quarterback woes to take Watson off their hands. Watson's future in Houston is certainly finished. Recently, rumors surfaced about Watson having an interest in a trade to the Minnesota Vikings or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Watson's agent shot those rumors down.
With teams still showing a willingness to trade for the Texans quarterback, it seems like his future in the NFL is not yet dead.